Christmas bird counts

[Steve Foss]

It's not that time yet, but it's getting here.

I highly recommend anyone who likes birdwatching to hook up with a local Audubon Society chapter or birding club and participate in an annual Christmas Bird Count.

For those who don't know, the annual events get people coordinated in groups to go out and identify as many bird species as possible (and count the individuals) in a 24 hour period. This happens all over the United States around Christmas time, usually slightly before Christmas, and the data gathered by all us amateurs actually helps professional ornithologists track species as they expand or contract in range, as well as giving them other useful data.

It's also a lot of fun. In most groups, novice birders are paired with more experienced birders, and it's a great way to get involved in a great pastime. And you don't have to spend the whole 24 hours birding. A couple hours here and there is all a lot of people do. And for those who don't want to go out in the cold but who feed birds, feeder watchers are welcome, and you generally can just phone or e-mail in your results to the count coordinator.

One of the reasons counts are so good for beginners is that there are fewer birds and bird species in winter in the north, so it's not like the head-spinning numbers encountered during spring migration. You also see rare birds now and then. I remember one count in Grand Forks, N.D., many years ago when one of the real pros in the group spotted a Townsend's solitaire pursuing snow fleas (no lie!)

Major cities, of course, will have lots of groups doing this, but even many smaller towns do it. There's one in Ely, and we're only population 3,700.

I've gone on counts in several cities, and it's always been a pleasant experience.

Anyone else participated in the Christmas counts?

[M.T. Bucket]

Honestly, this is one of the most fun days I have all year. I've participated the last 3 years. I told my wife that absolutely NOTHING will be allowed to come up that day (December 18th for the Grand Rapids count circle). I get to see other birders, many of whom I haven't seen all year.

I'm pretty hardcore about it, though most people here aren't. I typically go on my own (though I would certainly welcome a partner who was in it for at least 7am to dusk or one who didn't mind me continuing after he or she left) and I usually accept 2 or 3 sections (we have low enough turnout that people who want more than one have no problem). I generally have a thermos of coffee, a lunch packed, and a game plan. I try to cover every public sqare inch (usually do a fair amount of plodding through the snow, although I generally only pick up chickadees, nuthatches, and the occasional grouse for all the work) I can and any town streets and feeders I might have. Last year I was fortunate to get some open water in my area as well. Ended the day with 18 species and 300+ individual birds, which is high for January in Grand Rapids. Last year our turnout was very low because we had a storm dump on us the night before and the roads were difficult. I think we set new records in that circle for Great Gray & Northern Hawk Owls and if I remember correctly, Common Redpolls.

It's a lot of fun! Let me know if you might be at the Grand Rapids (AKA Cohasset) circle.